Wednesday, September 19, 2007 Public works told anew to explain bid of road project in Benguet town
OFFICIALS of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were again invited to appear before the Benguet Provincial Board (PB) to explain the bid out of the Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan Road improvement project despite the legislative body's appeal for them to suspend bidding.
"We demand that the district engineer, regional director and chairman of the bids and awards committee (BAC) to personally appear before us. Otherwise, we might lose confidence on them and we might be forced to declare them personas non grata," said Board Members Johnny Uy and Juan Nazarro Jr.
This came after the BAC representative, who appeared before the PB, failed to answer some of the queries raised by members, saying, "he has no authority" to answer why the DPWH insisted on bidding the project even when the PB already asked the agency to hold it in abeyance.
"We want individuals who have the authority to speak. This is the second time the DPWH sent a representative who has no authority to answer our questions," Nazarro said.
Nestor Nicolas, chairman of the DPWH regional office's BAC secretariat, was sent before the PB.
The PB wants the DPWH to explain the continuation of the bidding for the Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan road project despite the PB's request that this be held in abeyance pending the resolution of concerns raised, including the inclusion of portions that are not actually part of the supposed rehabilitation.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau also said concreting said portions of the road is not practical as these are geologically unstable.
Earlier, Board Member Rogelio Leon also questioned the inclusion of the Nalbengan and Balakbak sections of the road, saying these should not be part of the project since these are outside the area mentioned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her visit to the town.
Leon said DPWH officials "are not sincere in clarifying matters with us (the PB)”.
Last March, Arroyo vowed P60 million for the improvement of the road, which she traversed on her trip to Kapangan, with P20 million of the fund coming from the DPWH. The rest will come from the agriculture and agrarian reform departments.
The DPWH however included the questioned sections, which are located 15 kilometers away from the portion traversed by the President.
This raised opposition from the PB but the DPWH pushed through with the bidding last September 3 with the Gonzalo Construction as the winning bidder. (JC)
